Haunting
by AimeeAStheHedgehog17
Summary: A haunting love


"I don't like this! It's creepy," Amy said, shivering under the glare of the multiple skeletons hanging from the ceiling of the aged haunted house. Each of their unblinking stares sent shivers down her spine. Shuddering at their empty expressions, she quickened her pace down the hallway, Shadow keeping up with no effort.

Glancing up at said creepy skeletons, Shadow sighed, unimpressed by their so called intimidation. "They aren't real Amy," he reminded her. "They can't hurt you."

"I _know_ that but they're still scary!" Amy argued. The rose coloured hedgehog wore a shining deep magenta dress with silver sparkles decorated along the soft fabric, the sleeves having a white lace cuff at the end of each arm. A gold crown sat on top of her head, her quills curly for the special event. She turned to regard the abnormally calm Ultimate Lifeform who continued to walk alongside her with a neutral expression on his face. "I'm still surprised you came here."

"Let's just say that faker wouldn't stop bothering me about it until I gave in," Shadow explained, summing it up in one sentence. All because of that pest, he ended up in a haunted house and a party with the whole group. How could it possibly get worse? He was not interested in parties but Sonic had to be the most annoying guy around. Sonic never gave up, leaving no choice for Shadow to reject going to the party altogether. A deep frown was plastered to his face the entire time in contrast to Amy's expression of anxiety.

_"What's the matter Shads? Don't be such a chicken!" _If he had to listen to another one of Sonic's taunts again, the pest would end up keeping the skeletons company. Anything to get back at Sonic who made sure Shadow arrived at the party. Anything to wipe the smirk off Sonic's face.

_"At least this will be worth my time if the faker got what he deserved..." _How sweet revenge would be.

"Sonic just wants you to have fun!" Amy replied, siding with Sonic's opinion much to Shadow's irritation. "That's his way of saying he cares."

"I thought I made it clear to that pest that I _didn't_ care," Shadow reminded Amy who sighed at her friend's stubborn behaviour.

"Let's just get going then! This place gives me the creeps!" Amy knew better than to pursue the subject with Shadow, who was already set in his own opinion. An hour into the event and they were lost in the haunted house, unable to find the rest of the Team. Shadow clenched a fist in anger. He was certain they went to the right place.

Could it get any worse?

Without a doubt. Coming to the party was torture enough on Shadow's part but not finding the group made it even worse. The whole time he was trying to find out where they were in the haunted house with a calm mind, Amy was frantic, jumpy at almost every obstacle they came across during their search.

For the hundredth time that night, the two turned the corner, no sign of Sonic and the others. Certain they would have run into them by now, Shadow narrowed his livid ruby eyes in suspicion. Sonic, at least, would have found them being almost as fast as his rival. It took hours for Shadow to relent his decision. Being set up in the abandoned house was a likely option. An option that would result in the skeletons having a new _living_ friend. Beside him, Amy hugged her trembling frame tightly, terrified of being alone in the building, let alone in the vast darkness.

Not even he could stand seeing her so distraught. Somehow, there had to be a way out of the house and Shadow intended to find out. "Amy," he said in a tone just above a whisper, noticing the young hedgehog freeze in place.

"S-Shadow, behind you!"

Heeding Amy's wavering query, Shadow turned to regard the hovering ghost. No sooner did the ebony hedgehog turn around did the ghost disappear into the darkness again. Amy, now relieved, hurried forward.

"I hope everyone else is okay! We have to hurry and find them!" Amy insisted. Shadow had a feeling deep down she was concerned about Sonic the most. Didn't she obsess over that blue blur on a rapid basis?

Why did he even care about who Amy chose to chase around, anyway? If Sonic was the target of her affections, it wasn't his problem. The two continued onward without exchanging another word to each other. The old wooden boards creaked with every step the two hedgehogs took, somewhat breaking the awkward, lonesome silence. Amy glimpsed at the calculated neutral look on Shadow's face, wondering how he didn't seem bothered by their desperate situation.

_"He IS Shadow, after all. Of course he wouldn't be scared,"_ Amy thought to herself, feeling a little safer with the Ultimate Lifeform beside her. Around him, her fears felt so silly when he wasn't even phased by the decorations or being lost in a haunted house for that matter.

At long last, Amy spotted a staircase and rushed over, skipping the stairs a couple at a time in hope to find her friends above. By the time she reached the top, Shadow was patiently waiting for her. More moonlight shone through the various amount of windows, much in contrast to the darker floor below with a few windows at most scattered in various places. She could see glowing eyes staring at her from above but she kept her head down and trudged ahead. If those eyes were fake decorations, she had no reason to be frightened of them, right?

A tingle ran down her spine as the volume of the floor creaking grew louder, more prolonged with each reluctant step. Taking a deep breath, Amy stepped forward with Shadow patiently waiting for her by her side. She blinked in surprise to see part of the floor disappear, leading the two wondering friends down into a trapdoor.

"Help me!" Amy screamed, closing her eyes tightly. She felt an arm link around hers. "S-Shadow? Is that you?"

"Hold on," he told her, still managing to stay calm, regardless of the fact they were falling from the top floor of the haunted house. Amy waited for the rough landing to come but nothing of the sort happened. Black and red arms held her close, the Ultimate Lifeform landing on his feet without any difficulties. Shadow carefully set Amy down and continued on his way. Amy could only follow as far as the doorway before her feet stopped moving, her eyes staring in terror at what lay ahead. The dark hallways had been creepy enough, the decorations, spooky and even the fall was _terrifying._ But _this_ took the meaning of fright to its next level.

Many tombstones met her wide eyed gaze, as far as her eye could see. The area was surrounded with tall, steel fences, an old shed in the far left side of the uneven terrain. Amy gulped. Of all places, this had to be the worst of them all.

The graveyard.

"Amy?" Shadow questioned, a good distance ahead of her. Amy swallowed her fear, deciding if Shadow wasn't scared, she could be brave too. Rather than giving a reply, she hurried over to his side, unsure of where to go next. The same scepticism showed on Shadow's face too, if only a small trace.

"Where could everyone be? Sonic told us there would be a party!" By now, Amy was losing her patience. Instead of being at the supposedly party, she ended up lost for at least two hours and no hope of finding the others in time. Fear turned into anger when she felt a chill down her spine. She turned around to see the same ghost from earlier. With a shocked scream, she hurried down the hill, almost tripping on her long dress a few times. "Get away from me!"

Without any hesitation, Shadow followed after her, feeling a strong urge to protect the pink hedgehog. The ghost kept up with the retreating Amy with ease. Amy held onto Shadow's arm, closing her eyes tightly. "Get it away from me!"

"Amy, I won't let that ghost hurt you. I promise," he said, scooping her up in his arms bridal style. He quickly picked up the pace, surprised himself that the ghost was so persistent. Something about that mysterious ghost felt wrong, somewhat. Like a lost lingering spirit found its way to the land of the living.

"Why won't it stop following us?" Completely scared, Amy held onto Shadow tightly, the latter's heart beating faster in response to the touch. Seeing the ghost still pursuing them further into the graveyard, he pushed aside the warm feeling in his heart. For Amy's sake, he had to bring her someplace safe.

No such luck. His attempt at escaping came to an end when the tall fence completely blocked the path ahead. Their eyes met for a brief second before Amy's arms wrapped around Shadow in a desperate embrace.

No words could be exchanged. What more could there be to say when they were trapped in a corner, against the shed with the ghost still determined to haunt them to the very end? His hand gently stroked her quills before he realized what he was doing. As his eyes stared into Amy's, it dawned upon him how much he cared about her.

With the paranormal being closing in, he found himself regretting that he held back telling her how he felt. Amy was surprised when Shadow's grasp on her tightened to a close embrace. If there was any chance Shadow cared about her, it definitely showed to a degree. Little of his neutral expression remained on his face; instead, it was taken over by concern.

"Shadow," she whispered, feeling the need to apologize but no words would come out. The ghost's presence lurked closer. By now, the two were pressed against the side of the shed, Amy still in the comfort of Shadow's arms.

"I won't leave you," he calmly replied to her. "Amy..."

An icy cold chill froze her in place as the ghost inched closer to her terrified face, her eyes shut, waiting for it to end. A lone howl broke the silence.

Under the moonlight, an animal like figure watched the scene from a tall, sleep hill. The ghost staggered back, hurrying away from the intimidating creature, fading away from sight in an instant.

Confused, Amy opened her eyes, shocked they were still alive. She leapt out of Shadow's arms, still somewhat terrified the ferocious beast would pursue them.

"Shadow, what do we do?"

"I won't let you get hurt," he assured her, offering a hand to her, which she held tightly. "Those creatures will have to get through _me_first."

"Shadow..." Unintentionally, Amy noticed the Ultimate Lifeform stood in a protective stance, ready to fight if need be. Just for her...

The animal looked ready to pounce at any minute. Shadow took Amy in his arms again without question, staring down the supposed threat with caution. The moment it took off from the hill, the graveyard passed by in an instant blur, outrunning the determined beast with ease. The chase eventually lead them to the dark, thick forest. Amy gulped as enormous trees loomed over them and obscured the sky from view. Barely able to see anything, she held onto Shadow for comfort. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"We will get out of here, Rose. I promise." She was about to reply when she was quietly silenced, the two huddled against a tree in hope the animal would lose interest in them and go somewhere else. Amy made herself as comfortable as she could against the rough, damp bark, Shadow's arms around her cold body the entire time. Most likely to keep her safe. Nothing too personal for him to be so close to her.

"Is that thing gone?" Amy whispered. Shadow glanced in every direction, not sensing the presence of anything dangerous nearby. He slowly stood up, helping Amy at the same time. One hand kept a secure hold across her waist, the other on her upper back. The position felt too close just for the sake of protecting her. Could it be something much more with a deeper meaning?

Thunder erupted in the skies. Usually a sign rain was on its way. Taking a brief glance from behind the tree, Shadow easily spotted the same abnormally large animal from earlier.

"It followed us here?" Amy shouted before Shadow had a chance to stop her.

The beast's head perked up, taking a few steps in their direction. Before the creature had a chance to step any closer, it was smashed behind by an equally powerful opponent. The impact created a dent in the aged bark of the tree. While the temporary knocked out beast lay on its side unconscious, the thickness of the dense forest was lessening up quickly as the exit was soon in sight. An exit that lead to a lone cliff with no ground visible below.

"Now where are we?"

After seeing the predicament ahead of them, Shadow's eyes narrowed with anger. "We shouldn't have left for that party. It's dangerous here and I can't put you through this any longer."

"But the party-" She stopped in mid sentence when she saw the worry on Shadow's face.

"A party isn't worth putting you in danger." He motioned to the forest. "That crossed the line. We're not staying here. The faker will have to understand our reasons why we aren't going to the party."

Amy stayed quiet for a few moments, deep in thought. She met the ebony hedgehog's ruby orbs, noting the deep concern in his eyes. Biting her bottom lip, she kept a straight face as she slowly tried to explain her reasoning for staying.

"But Shadow... maybe if we stay in one place, Sonic and the others can find us." Shadow stood frozen in place, looking down at the pink hedgehog's luminous emerald green eyes. He closed his eyes, thinking thoroughly to himself about their next move. Amy bowed her head, waiting for the rejection she knew she would receive. Instead, there was a long moment of silence between the two. Amy started getting anxious, feeling the gravity intensifying around her.

Contemplating the thought, Amy did have a point. Sooner or later, the others would notice their absence at the party and search for them. "If you think staying here is best, then we will." Shadow gave a half smile at his relieved, hopeful rose.

"Thank you Shadow!" The two hedgehogs ended up waiting by a tall, deep green bush. Trying to keep Amy as comfortable as possible in the chilly, damp climate, he carefully placed her on his lap. Amy's head rested against Shadow's chest which she found to be quite cozy. What began as a comforting gesture turned into a cuddle. Unfamiliar with the strange uplifting flutter in his heart, Shadow fought back a blush.

"Shadow," Amy spoke up. "Why did you help me tonight?" The Ultimate Lifeform rarely helped the others out; usually to help defeat Eggman at the most and he'd be on his own path once again.

Finding a suitable answer, Shadow's mind was distracted from the awkward moment. "I wasn't going to leave you lost by yourself. You don't deserve that."

Amy's eyes widened in surprise. "Does that mean you care about me?"

"...I suppose it does." He couldn't believe he admitted it aloud. Amy smiled warmly by his response. He really was a hero, especially to her. What Shadow didn't expect was the tight hug he received after that.

"That's very sweet of you, Shadow..." And romantic...

He felt his face warm little, betraying his emotionless mask. "Amy..." He froze when he heard footsteps plough through the end of the forest, tearing through anything that got in its way. The same animal from earlier searched the small area, getting closer to Shadow and Amy with each passing second. Shadow carefully set Amy on the ground as he rose to meet the stare of the beast's eyes. Amy gulped, trying to reach out for her newfound hero.

"Shadow, don't!"

He took a few steps away from the bush, staring the beast down, getting in the position to fight. Amy knew Shadow wanted her to be safe but she couldn't help but feel worried for him who was facing the monster by himself. Roars and growls pierced the empty, lonesome silence. The battle continued on while Amy stayed hidden from sight, unable to watch what was taking place.

She jumped upon hearing one of the large, towering trees snap in two. A result from one of Shadow's Chaos Spears. The dark furred beast screeched loudly in reaction, lashing out at its opponent with its strong, powerful claws. Amy opened her eyes in time to see the attack heading in her direction and shut her eyes tight, gasping softly. The pain never came. Instead, she saw Shadow hold back the monster which towered over him by many times. It lunged out at her but Shadow pushed it back, a dangerous, dark in his eyes.

"Don't hurt her," he growled, unleashing another Chaos Spear. The monster took a few limping steps back, wavering before collapsing on the ground dead.

Amy finally stood up, legs shaking, making the task at hand difficult. Shadow felt a little exhausted himself but looking after Amy was more important by far. Seeing his scared rose almost fall, he caught her in his arms, pulling back in pain when one of her hands touched his upper left arm. Surprised herself, Amy was about to question him when she saw the cause of his reaction.

"Shadow! You're hurt!" she said, pointing to the long cut on his arm. The Ultimate Lifeform spent a moment regarding the injury and shrugged, indifferent.

"You're safe. That's all that matters," he replied. The injury did hurt but Amy Rose's safety was highest on his list of priorities.

"How can you say that?" She looked around frantically. "I'll find some help! Hang in there Shadow! I'll save you!"

"Amy!" he called. "You're not going in that forest by yourself!" Speaking a moment too late, the young hedgehog already disappeared into the distance. He silently cursed under his breath before seeing how bad the injury was. The cut was deep enough to pierce through the skin underneath the fur, his lower arm covered in blood. He could only hope Amy knew what she was doing. He had to believe in her, just like how she had faith in him.

Amy was hurrying along the dark paths of the forest, inhaling and exhaling rapidly as she tried to find any sign of her friends. Maybe going by herself wasn't such a good idea. But what could she do when she didn't want Shadow to injure himself further? Little did she know, a blue blur was heading towards her, nearly colliding into her shivering form.

"Sonic!" she called, relieved to see him. "Am I glad to see you!"

"Amy! Where have you been? We been looking everywhere for you and Shads!" Sonic replied.

"Oh Sonic! He's hurt! He needs help," Amy said, voice shaking with each word.

"Where is he?" Sonic asked, taking a more concerned approach than Amy expected.

"O-Over there," Amy replied, pointing in the other direction, gasping for breath.

"Then hang on Ames. We're gonna go back and find Shadow. Tails should be on his way here. He'll find us, no problem. "

In an instant, the two were passing through the remainder of the forest. It didn't feel nearly as special to Amy than with Shadow. With him, there was always that careful and gentle touch he seemed to carry naturally. She jumped out of Sonic's arms when they made it and hurried over to Shadow, hoping he stayed put. He was standing on the cliff, his arm still dropping small drops of blood but not to the same degree as before. He turned around, frowning at the sight of his rival.

"What do you want, faker?" His tone was bitter as he spoke each word.

"Shadow!" Amy cut in. "He came to look for us! He wants to help you."

"Help...me?" For a second, his composure was somewhat lost but he regained it as quickly as it disappeared. "I don't need help. All that matters is that we get out of here. I'm not putting you in any more danger Rose and that's final."

"Still stubborn as usual, huh Shads?" Sonic said, before taking out his communicator, waiting for it to receive a signal from Tails. Amy walked over to Shadow's side as Sonic told Tails what happened.

"Sonic only wanted to help you," she told him, somewhat disagreeing with stubborn attitude.

"But I don't need help," he retorted with a frown.

"Yes you do! When Tails gets here, he'll help you feel better. No need to worry." Right on cue, the Tornado descended down from the sky. Tails came out with a package of bandages which he gave to Amy. She hurried back to her friend with a smile on her face. "This should help. Once we get out of here, we'll get that cleaned up." She carefully wrapped the soft bandage around the cut, being as gentle as possible. Once the bandage was secured in the place, she saw Shadow smile.

"Thank you," he quietly said, out of Sonic and Tails' hearing range. Both having smiles on their faces, Amy had a feeling they knew what was going on. Once they left the creepy forest behind, Amy knew they'd have time alone. That is, if Shadow didn't mind. Somehow, she had a feeling that wasn't going to be a problem.

Sonic and Tails got themselves comfortable in the fronts seats while Shadow and Amy sat in the back, the pink hedgehog agreeing to rest on her dark hero's lap. Certain her friends weren't looking, Amy leaned in and gave Shadow a quick peck on the lips with he accepted with a smile and a blush that he couldn't fight back. He soon found it didn't matter anymore. Amy softly giggled at his reaction. If she was happy, Shadow found no reason to hide his feelings any longer.

The forest and the graveyard soon faded away as Tails flew the others back to Station Square. Amy took one last look out the window, finding the existence of the haunted house no longer remained nor the graves that occupied the abandoned land. From the top of the hill neighbouring the lonely forest, a nearly transparent spirit still lingered before fading away in the distant horizon. Until next year, their time on the planet was done.


End file.
